Head High is our interpretation of an American-style India Pale Ale (IPA). This beer is all about the hops; we use a blend of five different varieties all grown in the Pacific Northwest. A small charge of Chinook and Columbus early in the boil adds a smooth bitterness. A majority of the hops are then added late in the kettle or post-fermentation to produce a beer that is heavy on hop flavor and aroma. The combination of Cascade, Centennial, Citra and Columbus give Head High a noticeable grapefruit flavor with aromas of citrus, tropical fruits and pine. Our house American ale yeast ferments to a dry finish that accentuates the use of imported Pilsner and lightly kilned crystal malt resulting in Head High’s straw color and crisp flavor.

Reviews by devilfluff:

More User Reviews:

A: Pours a lightly cloudy deep golden orange in color with some copper highlights and moderate amounts of visible carbonation. The beer has a finger tall dense foamy light beige head that slowly reduces to a thin film covering about half of the surface of the beer with a thick ring at the edges of the glass. Significant amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Moderate to strong aromas of tropical fruit/pineapple/mango and citrus/grapefruit hops with just a touch of pine hops as well. There are hints of caramel malt sweetness.

T: Upfront there is a light amount of caramel malt sweetness that is quickly overtaken by the strong hop flavors - tropical fruit/pineapple/mango and citrus/grapefruit. After that, there is a light amount of pine hop flavors as well. Gentle but moderate amounts of bitterness that linger but not for too long.

M: Medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Slightly crisp with a very light amount of dryness in the finish.

O: This is a really enjoyable IPA and a great example for the style - solid hop flavors with out overly aggressive bitterness. I would gladly have this one regularly if I found it on tap. (1,196 characters)

On Tap at Old Man Rafferty’s in New Brunswick, NJ12/11/13 – Standard pint glass

A: Light caramel orange hue with some chill haze slightly in effect. Thin layer of paper white foam rests on top for a few moments. Light ribbons and swaths of lace decorate the glass all the way down the drink.

S: Smells like a big ol’ grapefruit bomb with some mild tropical fruit notes. Mix in a bit of dank herbs, gooseberry, and a dash white wine grape. Really nice. There is some faint pale malt sugar making its way through that sweetens up the aroma. Overall a very nice fruity and floral bouquet. Definitely has some Citra going on which has me excited.

T: Nice hop flavors of grapefruit zest, gooseberry, unripe berry, melon, and some earthy herbals towards the finish. Resinous with a high level of bitterness and puckering dryness to it. Restrained malt cracker with some light sugary crumbs sets the stage for dem hops. Alcohol is noticeable but kept well in check throughout the drink. This is a pretty solid IPA. Digging it.

M: Moderate to lighter in filling with an even amount of carb giving a nice spritz to an otherwise smooth consistency. Bitter and resinous on the palate with some mild alcohol warmth. Crisp and dry with a long lasting linger.

D: This is my kind of IPA – West Coast in style with lots of fruity flavor and Citra goodness. Nice find. Recommended. (1,380 characters)

This is just a damn fine IPA. Hop driven through and through... some may say unbalanced, but they'd be making a poor reference to old school "east coast" IPAs. This is a modern IPA--west coast nod if you must, but modern is more appropriate--and a really good example of one. Nice blend of citrus/pine/very slightly dank aromas and with a resinous finish from late addition hops, and assertive bitterness from hops in the boil. There are malts there, but they are clean and subtle--and limited enough to keep the ABV nicely moderate (not a session beer by any stretch, but even my pansy ass can put a few down and feel perfectly fine in the AM). Couple this with yeast that does not get in the way and clean water, and you've got a great IPA on your hands. (763 characters)

16 fl. oz., from a growler purchased at Kane Brewing, into a pint glass.

Two weekends ago, two friends and I went on a beer tour of Central New Jersey. One of the breweries we visited was Kane Brewing Company, makers of Head High IPA. I tried a small sample there, and purchased a growler, the better from which to judge and review this beer. And away we go…

A: I like how the growler pops as I open it. The pour is reasonably aggressive; with that, I get a 2 cm orange rind-colored head, that holds for roughly a minute. The beer itself is exactly what you’d expect from an IPA – beautiful golden amber, slightly bubbly. It really looks nice.

S: There’s a strong hop smell to this beer; which there should be, given that it’s an IPA. I’m getting a citrus hop aroma, AND a pine hop aroma. Not only that, but the balance is good. I’m picking up grapefruit, pine, but can’t discern anything from the malt. I’m sure it’ll be there in the tasting.

T: Me likey! There’s a very enjoyable hop taste, for you hop heads out there; I’m getting grapefruit, pine, and some roasted malt. There’s also some nice oomph to this beer, thanks to the 6.5% ABV. This is a very tasty beer.

M: You have to be a hop head to really like the mouthfeel of this beer; fortunately for me, I am. It’s medium-bodied, well-carbonated, washes over the palate well, and leaves a dry, hoppy finish. Good one.

O: New Jersey is capable of producing really good beer – who knew? For a brewery that’s been in existence for a year and a half, they’ve come right out of the gate with a winner. This is a darn good beer, excellent with salty snacks. Cheers. (1,656 characters)

Pours a slightly hazy, dark golden orange color with tangerine hues and a frothy, one finger white head that had good retention, slowly fading into a thick, lasting ring. Streaks of soapy lacing are left behind.

Dank floral hop aroma with some oily resins and earthy grass along with pine needle, spruce tip, tropical/citrus fruit and pale malt. Grassy pine needle character followed by mango, pineapple and grapefruit. Some sweet malt underneath the hops with hints of caramel and toffee along with some bread and cracker.

Full bodied with a blast of dank, earthy hops that provide the perfect amount of lingering, dry bitterness. Crisp and refreshing with the resinous oils countered by sweeter hop notes and a pale malt backbone. Lots of citrus, especially grapefruit and blood orange, along with some mango and pineapple. The malt backbone is a little stronger than expected but doesn't interfere with the dank hop notes. Some caramel and toffee flavor along with hints of bread, biscuit and graham cracker. Very nice balance of flavors in this beer. The hop profile is very complex and flavorful and there's just enough malt character, making this beer incredibly drinkable. (1,251 characters)

t - Tastes of pine hops, grapefruit, citrus, floral hops, earthy notes, fruity malts, some bready malts. Again, a lot of pine and more grapefruit here; a decent bitter bite to it. I think the nose was a little hoppier, but the taste is still great.

m - Medium body and low to mdoerate carbonation, with a medium bite to it thanks to the hops. Pretty easy to drink and would definitely want a few glasses of it.

o - Overall a really nice east coast IPA done in the style of a lot of west coast IPAs. A ton of pine to it, as well as grapefruit. Some bitterness from the hops, but not difficult to drink; well worth checking out. Glad I can get this pretty easy in NJ.___

EDIT: 07/29/13: Have had this a bunch of times now, most recently on 7/27/13 at the brewery and 2 hours later from a growler. Nose is amazing and no bitterness whatsoever, a really great, easy drinking IPA. Better nose than Overhead, though I like Overhead's taste a little better. (1,436 characters)

Sure enough, I live less than a mile from the Cloverleaf Tavern but it wasn't until recently that I started going in there on a regular basis. Recently, this is the beer that I see everyone having and raving about more than any other that's regularly on tap. After knocking off quite a few on my way to that establishment's MBA, this was next on my list. Why i didn't cross it off first is still beyond me!

Solid pour to this, as the beer had a cloudy hue, frothy head, and left more than enough lacing as I worked my way through this. Lots of grapefruit in the aroma and even more in the taste but what was missing here was the burn. No overpowering hops and maybe the most balanced IPA that I've had in a long time; if ever. The flavors really shined through the resin consistency of the mouthfeel and there was even a bit of chocolate-weed going on here (yes, Y typed that in right) to living things up and remind me of a good West Coast example of this style.

What separated this from those was the nice balance here and the relatively low amount of alcohol - this had the flavor profile of an IPA without the strength and potency of it. Some beers are just damn enjoyable without having to think about them too much or wonder why they go empty every time someone puts a glass of them in front of you. This was one of those and I'm so thankful that this is on-tap nearly all the time in my neck of the woods. So tasty and balanced at the same time - this beer even makes me a bit more proud to be from the Garden State. Undoubtedly worth seeking out! (1,560 characters)